European Continental Hydrosystems under Changing Water Policy proposes a synthesis of the geographical research and research findings in relation to continental hydrosystems, European territories and water laws, both at the conceptual and methodological level. Numerous case studies from France, Switzerland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and United Kingdom show how research in geography can contribute to the implementation of water policies in Europe.

This book is organised in four sections:

This book, written by a first class international team of 77 authors, is essential for researchers, students, professional geographers, geomorphologists, hydrologists, geologists, ecologists, engineers and planners, and professional organisations. It is a useful supplementary textbook for higher-level undergraduate and MSc courses in continental hydrosystems and catchment management taught within Departments of Geography, Environmental Science, Geology, Ecology, Environmental Planning, and Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Contributors 5-8
Acknowledgements 8
Introduction:
GILLES ARNAUD-FASSETTA, ERIC MASSON and EMMANUEL REYNARD: The Water Framework Directive, a scientific challenge for the geography of European hydrosystems 9-10
Section 1
River basin management, achieving good status of hydrosystems and geographical sciences
PDF 1 OLIVIER GRAEFE:
The river basin as a territorial water management unit – Towards post-political water management 11-16
2 SABINE FOUREL, ÉRIC CHALAUX, LOÏCK GUESDON, EMMANUELLE LUCAS, GABRIEL MELUN, GILLES ARNAUD-FASSETTA and MONIQUE FORT:
The SYAGE approach (for water and sewage management organisation of the Yerres catchment, France): restoring the watercourse ecological continuity.
Feedback from the implementation of a partnership between local authorities and University of Paris-Diderot 17-26
3 DOV CORENBLIT, MONIQUE FORT, GILLES ARNAUD-FASSETTA, GABRIEL MELUN, JULIEN DOUSSEAU, YUSUKE UEMURA and JOHANNES STEIGER:
Toward a functional compromise between society and Mediterranean fluvial hydrosystems in France? 27-36
4 PIERRE SERRAT, SÉBASTIEN DURAND, NATACHA SALLES and WOLFGANG LUDWIG:
Water uses in the Segre catchment: history and impact of European legislation (Water Framework Directive) on the management of a Pyrenean transboundary hydrosystem (France, Spain) 37-46
5 FABIEN HOBLÉA, MARC DZIKOWSKI, GÉRARD NICOUD and GRÉGORY TISSIER:
Karst waters vs. French Water Policy and Directive 2000/60/EC: how to reconcile standardisation and peculiarity? 47-57
6 ÉRIC MASSON, OLIVIER BLANPAIN, YAMINE BOUZEMBRAK, GILLES GONCALVES and HAMID ALLOUI:
European Water Framework Directive objectives and polluted waterway sediments in Nord-Pas-de-Calais region (France) 59-69
7 LAURENT LESPEZ, VINCENT VIEL, JEAN-MICHEL CADOR, MARIE-ANNE GERMAINE, CÉCILE GERMAIN-VALLÉE, ANNE-JULIA ROLLET and DANIEL DELAHAYE:
Environmental dynamics of small rivers in Normandy (western France) since the Neolithic era. What lessons for today in the context of the European Water Framework Directive? 71-86
Section 2
Water laws, hydrological/sediment transfers and integrated approaches to risk management
8 DAVID LORION:
From a utopia of security to the integrated management of drainage basins: the example of Reunion Island (France) 87-98
9 FRANCISCO DA SILVA COSTA, ANDRÉA MARQUES, GILLES ARNAUD-FASSETTA, JOAQUIM ALONSO, IVONE MARTINS and CARLOS GUERRA:
Methodological deepening for flood-risk analysis in cross-border regions: a case study for the Lima catchment (NW Spain/Portugal) according to the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive 99-112
10 VINCENT VIEL, ANNE-JULIA ROLLET, DANIEL DELAHAYE, LAURENT LESPEZ and JEAN-MICHEL CADOR:
Creation of an observatory of sediment transfers in Lower Normandy hydrosystems (western France) in the context of the European Water Framework Directive application 113-124
11 GABRIEL MELUN, GILLES ARNAUD-FASSETTA, MONIQUE FORT, ÉRIC CHALAUX, OLIVIER DELECLUSE, SABINE FOUREL, LOÏCK GUESDON, EMMANUELLE LUCAS and EMMANUELLE NIETO:
Hydromorphological impacts of continuity restoration at the reachscale. Example of the Suzanne reach, tributary of the Yerres River, Seine catchment, France 125-136
12 JEANNINE CORBONNOIS, ANNE-JULIA ROLLET, VINCENT VIEL and ANNAELLE HONORÉ:
The European Water Framework Directive, hydraulic structures and bed erosion in the Huisne River (France) 137-148
13 CLAIRE LANG-DELUS, VINCENT FISTER, DIDIER FRANÇOIS, EMMANUEL GILLE and GILLES DROGUE:
Estimation of low-flow indices as a basic requirement of the Water Framework Directive: Contribution of geographical sciences in low-flow prediction 149-157
14 LILIANA ZAHARIA and GABRIELA IOANA-TOROIMAC:
Romanian Danube River management: Impacts and perspectives 159-170
Section 3
Institutional management of water use and participation
15 STUART N. LANE:
Working with controversies in hydrology and hydraulic science 171-181
16 STÉPHANIE DE CARRARA and YVES-FRANÇOIS LE LAY:
What role for local water uses in the French legal system? The example of the Dombes region (Rhône-Alpes, France) 183-192
17 ÉLODIE MAGNIER:
Artificial snow and water uses in mountain tourist resorts. The Dranse-de-Sous-Saix catchment area (Haute-Savoie, France) 193-204
18 HERVÉ DAVODEAU, RÉGIS BARRAUD, NATHALIE CARCAUD, DAVID MONTEMBAULT and CLAIRE PORDOY:
River groynes along the Armorican Loire River (France): river responses and local resident reactions. A sociogeographical landscape reading as a complement for ecological engineering 205-219
19 NICOLAS ROLLO, RÉGIS BARRAUD und ÉTIENNE CHAUVEAU:
Socio-spatial stakes when implementing footpath easements: the case of the Erdre River banks (France) 221-232
20 RÉGIS BARRAUD and MARIE-ANNE GERMAINE:
Defining and achieving good water status: expert rule versus local participation. Case studies on dam removal in western France 233-245
21 RÉMI SCHWEIZER and PETER KNOEPFEL:
The impacts of public policies on self-organised resource governance: the case of irrigation in Valais (Switzerland) 247-259
Section 4
Fundamental geographical research applied to hydrosystem management
22 GABRIELA IOANA-TOROIMAC, GABRIEL MINEA, LILIANA ZAHARIA, RAZVAN ZAREA and MIHAELA BORCAN:
Hydrogeomorphological river typology in the Ialomita and Buzau catchments (Romania) 261-272
23 FLORENCE SALIT, GÉRARD BELTRANDO and LILIANA ZAHARIA:
From the impact of the July 2005 flood to river management: study case of the lower Siret River (Romania) 273-279
24 LAETITIA LAIGRE, EMMANUEL REYNARD and GILLES ARNAUD-FASSETTA:
Multimethods approach for characterising the fluvial dynamics in Alpine floodplains: a tool for the Swiss Rhône River management? 281-292
25 BENOÎT MAILLARD, DAVID THELER and EMMANUEL REYNARD:
Typology of torrential systems in the Hérens valley (Valais, Switzerland), a river-management support 293-303
26 VINCENT FISTER:
Vulnerability mapping of limestone aquifers in low plateaus (North-East France) 305-312
27 ALAIN DEVOS, CHRISTELLE SOSSON, OLIVIER LEJEUNE, LAURENT CHALUMEAU and EDITH I. B. CHOPIN:
The role of aquifer geomorphological context on exchange modes between water tables and rivers in the limestone plateaus of Eastern France 313-322
28 GABRIELA WERREN:
Mapping institutional vulnerability. A case study in Beni Mellal, Morocco. A possible application in Europe? 323-323
Conclusions:
ERIC MASSON, GILLES ARNAUD-FASSETTA and EMMANUEL REYNARD:
Geographical research into hydrosystems – The challenges for 2027 333-342

Introduction:
The Water Framework Directive, a scientific challenge for the geography of European hydrosystems

The International Conference on Continental hydrosystems and European territories facing different water laws was held in Sion (Valais, Switzerland) from the 11th to the 13th July 2011. It was organised by the Continental Hydrosystems Commission of the French National Committee of Geography (CNFG-CHC) and the Institute of Geography of the University of Lausanne (IGUL; now Institute of Geography and Sustainability, IGD). This event was supported by the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG), the French Group of Geomorphology (GFG), the Swiss Geomorphological Society (SGS), the Swiss Association of Geography (SAG), the Swiss Commission of Hydrology (CHy), the University Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC), the Laboratory of Physical Geography in Meudon (LGP, UMR 8591 CNRS), the University Lille North-of-France (ULNF, Lille 1 Sciences and Technologies), the Territories-Cities-Environment-Society Laboratory (TVES, EA 4477), and the Canton of Valais (Rhône 3 project). The organisating committee comprised GILLES ARNAUD-FASSETTA (Professor of geography – University of Paris-Diderot/LGP/PRODIG), president of the CNFG-CHC, ERIC MASSON (Associate Professor of geography – ULNF/TVES), secretary of the CNFG-CHC, and EMMANUEL REYNARD (Professor of geography – University of Lausanne). The scientific conference secretary was LAETITIA LAIGRE (Ph.D. student in geography – University of Lausanne).

Conference objectives and topics
Hydrosystems strongly interact with society in terms of natural resource management, water quality/quantity management, or natural risks. During recent decades, population increase and economic growth, notably in flatter regions, have strengthened the tensions between hydrosystem functions and land planning. As a result, the importance of human impacts on hydrosystem functions and increases in hydrological risks are now widely recognised. The development of laws and policy tools to improve land and catchment planning in order to protect the natural functions and quality of hydrosystems has been one of the responses associated with solving these problems.
In this context, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) of the European Union is heading and driving the national laws for European State Members. The aim of the WFD is to set a common standard in terms of quality and quantity objectives for physical, chemical and biological hydrosystem parameters. These objectives have to be implemented through an appropriate management plan and applied to every water body/water mass unit such as rivers, lakes and groundwater. These WFD objectives are challenging for a number of European countries that have highly inspired the WFD foundations from their own water management policies and tools.
With a view to the first WFD milestone (2015), the Sion conference was an opportunity to draw attention to ongoing geographical research and research findings in relation to continental hydrosystems, European territories and water laws. Most communications focused on French and Swiss hydrosystems, but some very good cases from Portugal, Romania, Spain and the United Kingdom gave a European overview to the meeting’s primary focus. Swiss water policy also inspired reflections upon the WFD and provided additional scientific perspectives on hydrosystem research and water resource management in continental Europe.
The conference mainly addressed three topics:
Public policy impacts (WFD and national policies) on hydrosystem dynamics and management;
The role of the geographical sciences in the implementation of hydrosystem management policies (including hydrological risks);
The added value of fundamental research in sustaining applied research into hydrosystem management.

Organisation of the book
This book is the main permanent record of this international conference. It contains 30 contributions (including this introduction and the conclusions) written by 77 authors (France, Switzerland, Romania, Portugal, USA, Japan) from the University/Graduate school (86%) and professional fields (14%), reflecting the very diverse topics under discussion during the three conference days. Beside discussions and contributions a field excursion was also organised in the Swiss Rhône valley where many conference topics presented were again discussed from a “field” point of view.
The book is organised in four sections:
Section 1: River basin management, achieving good status of hydrosystems and geographical sciences (7 contributions);
Section 2: Water laws, hydrological/sediment transfers and integrated approaches to risk management (7 contributions);
Section 3: Institutional management of water use and participation (7 contributions);
Section 4: Fundamental geographical research applied to hydrosystem management (7 contributions).
We hope that the case studies presented in this book will show how research in geography can contribute to the implementation of water policies in Europe.

Paris, Lille, Lausanne, December 2012
GILLES ARNAUD-FASSETTA, ERIC MASSON, EMMANUEL REYNARD

Hamid ALLOUI, Professor, University of Artois, Laboratory LGI2A EA 3926, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Béthune (France)

Joaquim ALONSO, Associate Professor, Environmental and Life Sciences Department, ESA-IPVC, Ponte de Lima (Portugal)

Gilles ARNAUD-FASSETTA, Professor, University of Paris-Diderot, CNRS-UMR 8591 LGP & 8586 PRODIG, UFR GHSS, case 7001, Paris (France)

Régis BARRAUD, Associate Professor, University of Poitiers, Laboratory RURALITES EA 2252, Maison des Sciences de l’Homme et de la Société de Poitiers, bâtiment A5, Poitiers (France)

Gérard BELTRANDO, Professor, University of Paris-Diderot, CNRS-UMR 8586 PRODIG, UFR GHSS, case 7001, Paris (France)

Olivier BLANPAIN, Professor, University of Lille 1 Sciences and Technologies, Laboratory TVES EA 4477, UFR Géographie et Aménagement, Villeneuve d’Ascq (France)

Mihaela BORCAN, Doctor, National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, Bucharest (Romania)

Yamine BOUZEMBRAK, Doctor, University of Artois, Laboratory LGI2A EA 3926, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Béthune (France)

Jean-Michel CADOR, Associate Professor, University of Caen-Basse Normandie, CNRS-UMR 6554 LETG-GEOPHEN, Caen (France)

Nathalie CARCAUD, Professor, Agrocampus Ouest centre d’Angers, département Paysage, Angers (France)

Éric CHALAUX, General Director, SYAGE – Syndicat mixte pour l’assainissement et la gestion des eaux du bassin-versant de l’Yerres, Montgeron (France)

Laurent CHALUMEAU, Research Engineer, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, GEGENAA, Reims (France)

Étienne CHAUVEAU, Associate Professor, University of Nantes, CNRS-UMR 6554 LETG-GEOLITTOMER, Nantes (France)

Edith I. B. CHOPIN, Assistant Professor, Oakland University, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Rochester, Michigan 48309-4401 (USA)

Jeannine CORBONNOIS, Professor, University of Maine, CNRS-UMR 6590 ESO, Le Mans (France)

Dov CORENBLIT, Associate Professor, Clermont University, Maison des Sciences de l’Homme, Clermont-Ferrand (France), and CNRS-UMR 6042 GEOLAB, Clermont-Ferrand (France)

Francisco DA SILVA COSTA, Assistant Professor, University of Minho, Department of Geography, Guimarães (Portugal)

Hervé DAVODEAU, Associate Professor, Agrocampus Ouest centre d’Angers, département Paysage, Angers (France)

Stéphanie DE CARRARA, Ph.D. Student, Ecole normale supérieure de Lyon, CNRS-UMR 5600 EVS, Lyon (France)

Daniel DELAHAYE, Professor, University of Caen-Basse Normandie, CNRS-UMR 6554 LETG-GEOPHEN, Caen (France)

Olivier DELECLUSE, Head of Unit Remote Management and Information Processing System, SYAGE – Syndicat mixte pour l’assainissement et la gestion des eaux du bassin-versant de l’Yerres, Montgeron (France)

Alain DEVOS, Associate Professor (HDR), University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, GEGENAA, Reims (France)

Julien DOUSSEAU, Master Student, University of Paris-Diderot, CNRS-UMR 8586 PRODIG, UFR GHSS, case 7001, Paris (France)

Gilles DROGUE, Associate Professor, University of Lorraine, Department of Geography, Nancy (France)

Sébastien DURAND, Head of Service Water & Sanitation, Parc naturel régional des Causses du Quercy, Labastide-Murat (France)

Marc DZIKOWSKI, Associate Professor, University of Savoie, Pôle Montagne, CNRS-UMR 5204 EDYTEM, Le Bourget du Lac (France)

Vincent FISTER, Teaching Assistant (ATER), Ph.D. Student, University of Lorraine, CEGUM Laboratory, UFR SHA Ile du Saulcy, Metz (France)

Monique FORT, Professor, University of Paris-Diderot, CNRS-UMR 8586 PRODIG, UFR GHSS, case 7001, Paris (France)

Sabine FOUREL, Director of Prospective & Assessment Division, SYAGE – Syndicat mixte pour l’assainissement et la gestion des eaux du bassin-versant de l’Yerres, Montgeron (France)

Didier FRANÇOIS, Research Engineer, University of Lorraine, Department of Geography, Nancy (France)

Marie-Anne GERMAINE, Associate Professor, University of Paris-Ouest Nanterre, CNRS-UMR 7218 LAVUE-Mosaïques, La Défense, Nanterre (France)

Cécile GERMAIN-VALLÉE, Archaeologist-Geoarchaeologist, Attaché de Conservation du Patrimoine, Service Archéologique du Conseil Général du Calvados, Caen (France)

Emmanuel GILLE, Associate Professor (HDR), University of Lorraine, Department of Geography, Nancy (France)

Gilles GONCALVES, Professor, University of Artois, Laboratory LGI2A EA 3926, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Béthune (France)

Olivier GRAEFE, Professor, University of Fribourg, Department of Geosciences, Fribourg (Switzerland)

Carlos GUERRA, Researcher, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Universidade de Évora, Évora (Portugal)

Loïck GUESDON, Director of River Division, SYAGE – Syndicat mixte pour l’assainissement et la gestion des eaux du bassin-versant de l’Yerres, Montgeron (France)

Fabien HOBLÉA, Associate Professor, University of Savoie, Pôle Montagne, CNRS-UMR 5204 EDYTEM, Le Bourget du Lac (France)

Annaelle HONORÉ, Student, Ecole supérieure des géomètres et topographes, Le Mans (France)

Gabriela IOANA-TOROIMAC, Assistant Professor, University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, Bucharest (Romania)

Peter KNOEPFEL, Professor, Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration, UNIL-Mouline, Lausanne (Switzerland)

Laetitia LAIGRE, Graduate Assistant, Ph.D. Student, University of Lausanne, Institute of Geography and Sustainability, Bâtiment Géopolis, UNIL-Mouline, Lausanne (Switzerland)

Stuart N. LANE, Professor, University of Lausanne, Institute of Geography and Sustainability, Bâtiment Géopolis, UNIL-Mouline, Lausanne (Switzerland)

Claire LANG-DELUS, Associate Professor, University of Lorraine, Department of Geography, Nancy (France)

Olivier LEJEUNE, Associate Professor, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, GEGENAA, Reims (France)

Yves-FRANÇOIS LE LAY, Associate Professor, Ecole normale supérieure de Lyon, CNRS-UMR 5600 EVS, Lyon (France)

Laurent LESPEZ, Associate Professor (HDR), University of Caen-Basse Normandie, CNRS-UMR 6554 LETG-GEOPHEN, Caen (France)

David LORION, Associate Professor, University of Reunion Island, Saint-Denis Réunion (France)

Emmanuelle LUCAS, Director of Technical Services, SYAGE – Syndicat mixte pour l’assainissement et la gestion des eaux du bassin-versant de l’Yerres, Montgeron (France)

Wolfgang LUDWIG, Professor, University of Perpignan, CNRS-UMR 5110 CEFREM, Perpignan (France)

Élodie MAGNIER, Ph.D. Student, University of Lausanne, Institute of Geography and Sustainability, Quartier Dorigny, Bâtiment Géopolis, Lausanne (Switzerland), and University of Paris-Sorbonne, Institute of Geography, Paris (France)

Benoît MAILLARD, Graduate Researcher, University of Lausanne, Institute of Geography and Sustainability, Bâtiment Géopolis, UNIL-Mouline, Lausanne, Switzerland, and ECOTEC Environnement S.A., Sierre (Switzerland)

Andréa MARQUES, Master Student, University of Paris-Est Créteil, CNRS-UMR 8591 LGP, Créteil (France)

Ivone MARTINS, Researcher, Environmental and Life Sciences Department, Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, Mosteiro de Refóios do Lima, Ponte de Lima (Portugal)

Éric MASSON, Associate Professor, University of Lille 1 Sciences and Technologies, Laboratory TVES EA 4477, UFR Géographie et Aménagement, Villeneuve d’Ascq (France)

Gabriel MELUN, Doctor, University of Paris-Diderot, CNRS-UMR 8586 PRODIG, Paris (France)

Gabriel MINEA, Doctor, National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, Bucharest (Romania)

David MONTEMBAULT, Associate Professor, Agrocampus Ouest centre d’Angers, département Paysage, Angers (France)

Gérard NICOUD, Associate Professor (retired), University of Savoie, Pôle Montagne, CNRS-UMR 5204 EDYTEM, Le Bourget du Lac (France)

Emmanuelle NIETO, Head of Unit Control of Natural Environments, SYAGE – Syndicat mixte pour l’assainissement et la gestion des eaux du bassin-versant de l’Yerres, Montgeron (France)

Claire PORDOY, Ph.D. Student, Agrocampus Ouest centre d’Angers, département Paysage, CNRS-UMR 6590 ESO, Angers (France)

Emmanuel REYNARD, Professor, University of Lausanne, Institute of Geography and Sustainability, Bâtiment Géopolis, UNIL-Mouline, Lausanne (Switzerland)

Anne-Julia ROLLET, Associate Professor, University of Caen-Basse Normandie, CNRS-UMR 6554 LETG-GEOPHEN, Caen (France)

Nicolas ROLLO, Research Engineer, University of Nantes, CNRS-UMR 6554 LETG-GEOLITTOMER, Nantes (France)

Florence SALIT, Teaching Assistant (ATER), University of Paris-Est Créteil. Ph.D. Student, University of Paris-Diderot, CNRS-UMR 8586 PRODIG, Paris (France)

Natacha SALLES, Program Manager Water & Aquatic Environments, Association d’Émergence du PNR de l’Aubrac, Aubrac (France)

Rémi SCHWEIZER, Graduate Assistant, Ph.D. Student, Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration, UNIL-Mouline, Lausanne (Switzerland)

Pierre SERRAT, Associate Researcher, University of Perpignan, CNRS-UMR 5110 CEFREM, Perpignan (France)

Christelle SOSSON, Ph.D. Student, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, GEGENAA, Reims (France)

Johannes STEIGER, Associate Professor, Clermont University, Maison des Sciences de l’Homme, Clermont-Ferrand (France), and CNRS-UMR 6042 GEOLAB, Clermont-Ferrand (France)

David THELER, Consulting Engineer, ECOTEC Environnement S.A., Sierre (Switzerland)

Grégory TISSIER, Ph.D. Student, University of Savoie, Pôle Montagne, CNRS-UMR 5204 EDYTEM, Le Bourget du Lac (France)

Yusuke UEMURA, Engineer, Pacific Consultants Co., Tamashi, Tokyo (Japan)

Vincent VIEL, Doctor, University of Caen-Basse Normandie, CNRS-UMR 6554 LETG-GEOPHEN, Caen (France)

Gabriela WERREN, Graduate Assistant, Ph.D. Student, University of Lausanne, Institute of Geography and Sustainability, Lausanne (Switzerland)

Liliana ZAHARIA, Professor, University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, Bucharest (Romania)

Razvan ZAREA, Doctor, Buzau – Ialomita Basin Water Administration, Buzau (Romania)